Ryan Fauglid is a second-year student at the University of Minnesota majoring in strategic communications. Fauglid also works on campus as a communications and operations assistant at the Pre-Health Student Resources Center.
“When I think about queer joy, the first thing that comes to my mind are the memories I have of going to my first pride festival in 2019. Going to the pride and being surrounded by so many of my queer siblings that year was an incredibly surreal experience.
Having been a mostly-closeted sophomore in high school, everything about this experience was very new to me. Previously, I had never truly had the opportunity to be so open about my own queerness. I was only out to a handful of people and honestly barely knew myself.
Coming from rural Minnesota, I had also never really had much of a queer community to relate with and to celebrate my identity with. I remember looking around and feeling so at peace with myself and so empowered, and that is when I really began to know what it meant to feel proud of being queer. This was genuinely one of the best moments of my life. I finally felt entirely comfortable and safe in my identity, and this just brought me so much joy.
This event really played a crucial role in the path I took toward self-acceptance, and I will always remember it as being a huge stepping stone for myself in that process.”
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Interview conducted by VIctoria Schutz.